Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
A civil rights group warned Uber Eats that its app profiles place transgender drivers at risk of harassment and violence, prompting the company to apologize Tuesday to a Kansas man and to resolve issues within the app that outed him.
The move came after American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas released on Tuesday morning a letter it had sent the day earlier to the food delivery service on behalf of Laine Repic, a 41-year-old transgender man in Topeka, Kansas, who has been driving for the company since April.
The ACLU of Kansas contended that Uber Eats has forced Repic to have his app profile display his legal name, which he no longer uses and which does not match his male gender presentation -- effectively outing him as transgender.
It noted that Repic has experienced harassment and ridicule as a result when he drops off food to customers and has made him fearful for his safety.
"Having to, like, drive around with that name following you everywhere from customers it was nerve racking and it was scary and we shouldn't have to be put in that position -- especially when it was such a simple fix," Repic said Tuesday in a phone interview.
Repic said he reached out to the ACLU because he needed someone who would have his back and Uber didn't seem to support him.
"While nobody was physically, violently attacking me, these microaggressions they eat at you over and over and over again... I shouldn't have to tell my life story and I shouldn't have to be forced back into the closet because of that. It wears on you, it's draining, it's tiring, it's demeaning because it's like you are not being taken seriously. Having to fight for your own identity, it absolutely takes a mental toll on you. And this was my breaking point," Repic said,
In an emailed statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday afternoon, Uber apologized to Repic for the difficulties he faced as he tried to make changes to his profile within the app -- which it said have now been resolved.
"We recognize that for transgender and non-binary drivers and delivery people, the name on their ID does not always reflect their true identity," the company said. "That's why we recently announced they can choose to display their self-identified first name, without requiring the display of their legal name."
The company added it was working to further improve its systems, and has set up a fund to help drivers and delivery people cover the cost of updating their name and gender on state and federal ID's.
Repic and the ACLU learned of the company's statement after the AP read it them during an interview. It was not immediately known if the San Francisco-based company later reached out to Repic personally.
"I'm glad they did this and hopefully they will get those systems in place," Repic said. "It shouldn't have taken all this to get there."
Repic said he had previously tried unsuccessfully to update his driver profile so it shows his correct first name and pronouns.
Repeatedly he contacted the company through messaging on the driver app as well as emails and phone calls. He has been given the run-around or no response at all, said Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas.
"In addition to possibly violating state and federal law, forcing transgender UberEats drivers to deliver under their dead names is bad policy," the ACLU wrote. "It needlessly places transgender drivers at risk of harassment, degradation, and violence."
The ACLU said that for many people obtaining a legal name change can be a long, difficult and expensive process.
Gabriel Arkles, senior counsel for the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, said some employers have been moving in the "right direction" but still have a long way to go since the U.S. Supreme court in a landmark 2020 ruling held that the Civil Rights Act protects employees against discrimination because they are gay or transgender.
"This issue brings out some of the differences between saying a company treats people equally and actually creating conditions for people to have equal access to employment... To really achieve the promise of the Supreme Court victory, we need to make sure that the actual practices of companies like Uber Eats are changing," Arkles said.
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.